Driving overshoe



Patented Mar. 1, 1921 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- T. B. FUNK.

DRIVING OVERSHOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1920.

1,370,423. Patfinted Mar. 1 15,

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 mys.

T. B. FUNK.

DRIVING OVERSHOE.

APPUCATIOH FILED MAR.15, 1920.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES TRUMAN ."B. FUNK, 0F MOIJINE, ILLINOIS.

DRIVING OVERSHOE.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Application filed March 15, 1920. Serial No. 365,711.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, TRUMAN B. FUNK, a citizenof the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Islandand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Driving Overshoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is primarily intended for use by drivers of automobilesor similar ve hicles, and the particular object of the invention is toprovide an overshoe which will not only be warm but serviceable when onthe foot, and which will also be adapted for the ready insertion of thefoot without manual manipulation on the part of the wearer. Theimportance of this feature will be read ily understood when it isconsidered that the space occupied by the driver behind the wheel isfrequently limited, so that it may be diflicult or practicallyimpossible for the driver to lean over for the purpose of manuallyadjusting the overshoe to his foot. For this reason the presentinvention is designed to maintain itself either in open or in closedposition by spring action so that the foot can be readily slipped intoplace and the overshoe clamped around the ankle and leg of the wearer,and the reverse operation performed with equal facility and withoutmanual manipulation.

The invention is further designed to dispense with buckles, clasps, orother unsightly fastening devices which require manual manipulation, sothat not only can the overshoes be more conveniently adjusteed, buttheey will also be improved in appearance and in their weaeringproperties.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationof parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the overshoe of the present invention,indicating the position of the heel of the wearers inner shoe in dottedlines;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the overshoe in open position;

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the split spring closing ring in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the same feature in plan view; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are details of a modified spring ring.

The overshoe is formed to have a sole 6 of the usual configuration, butwithout any heel. At the rear end of the arch portion of the sole is adepending stop plate 7'whicn serves both to reinforce the rear edge 8 ofthe sole and also toprovide a stop for contact against the front face ofthe users inner shoe heel when the foot is inserted into position.

The overshoe sole has mounted thereon a vamp 9 of the usual formation,with the exception that the rear portion thereof is cut away asindicated in Fig. 1, so thatthe counter is entirely lacking and the rearend of the overshoe is thus left open to afford easy admission of thewearers foot. The vamp is united with an upper 10 of the usualformation, which is preferably pro vided with a lining 11 to insurewarmth, the upper being split vertically in the back so that it may bewidely distended when opened, as indicated in Fig. 3. In order to affordan easy mergence between the rear portion of the vamp and the rearportion of the upper, the rear edge .12 of the vamp is cut away on anoblique line which avoids any sharp or unsightly breaks or angles in thestructure of the overshoe and at the same time tapering the relativelystiff material composing the vamp in such a way that it will morereadily flex when the upper is opened or closed as occasion may require.

The upper is preferably formed of relatively flexible material, and isprovided with one or more split spring rings 13, each consisting of twosections 1 1 and 15 hinged together atthe front side, the spring ringsbeing interposed between the fabric and thelining of the upper so thatthey will be concealed from view and also will be cushioned by thelining against uncomfortable pressure upon the foot of the wearer.

The hinged portion of each of the spring rings consists of a bifurcatedloop 16 on the section 14.- and an interposed looped tongue 17 upon thecompanion section 15, with a pintle 18 for hinging and uniting the twosections together. In order to afford the necessary spring action a flatspring 19 is riveted to the section 14: by rivets 20, leaving itsforward ends free to overlie the hinged inner end of the companionspring ring section, which latter is shouldered at the point 21 to rideunder the flat spring when the sections are distended as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 5. With the parts in open position, the flat springwill be forced back to lie upon the shouldered face 21, so that afterthe critical point is passed in the distending of the ring sections thespring ring will fly back into open position; and similarly, when thering sections are forced in past the critical point, the spring will actto close the ring and maintain the upper of the overshoe in clampedposition upon the foot of the wearer.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lowermost split spring ring is disposed withinthe upper in such relation as to close the upper firmly around theinstep of the wearer, and the uppermost of the rings is arranged aroundthe top of the upper, so that the conjoint action of the two springrings will serve either to hold the upper, together with the taperedrear ends of the vamp, widely distended and in a position to permit thewearers foot to be easily and conveniently inserted into place, andthereafter, when closed, will hold the upper in closed relation aroundthe ankle portion of the wearer, affording a neat, comfortable andeasily adjustable protection for the wearers foot. Obviously, the uppercan be extended to embrace the calf to a greater or less degree as maymeet the desire or whim of the wearer, and if desired additional splitrings can be inserted, the number depending upon the height of the shoeand the snugness with which it is desired to hold the overshoe in place.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a modification of the split ring, in which thesections 14: and 15 are hinged at the point 16, in the manner previouslydescribed, but are held in open or shut relation by the action of across bar 22, the ends 23 of which are inturned in opposite directionsand enter through loops 24 in the respective ring sections, thearrangement being such that the direct distance between the connectedends of the bar' rather than a hinged ring may-be employed,

in which-case, of course, the ring will not hold itself in distendedposition as previously described.

i It is plain from the above description that theovershoe of the presentinvention is one which may be allowed to remain in standing positionupon the floor of a car, being supported at its rear end upon the stopplate 7, and that when in this position, with the upper widelydistended, the wearer can almost instantly insert his foot into placeand thereafter close the split rings by slight pressure of the hands, oreven by the manipulation of the other foot, so that no diificulty willbe experienced in adjusting the overshoes t position. In a similarmanner the overshoes can be readily opened and the foot withdrawn asoccasion may require. Obviously the style, finish and llning of theoversho'es may be varied to suit the taste or pocketbook of the user,and various modifications can be made in the general form and structureof the shoe as a whole without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Although the invention isprimarily intended as a drivers overshoe, itobviously can be worn under any circumstances in which convenience ofmanipulation is desirable.

I claim:

1. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel position, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, and a stop member secured at the rear end of the sole andadapted, in combination with the sole, to support the overshoe instanding position, substantially as described.

2. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the-vamp and split atthe back, a stop member secured at the rear end of the sole and adapted,in combination with the sole, to support the overshoe in standingposition, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, substantially as described.

3. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper-secured to thevamp and split at theback, a stop member secured at the rear end of the sole and adapted, incombination with the sole, to support the overshoe in standin position,andza spring ring in the upper for clasping the same around the wearersfoot, said spring being hinged at its front side to facilitateopeningand clos- 7 ing, substantially as described.

4. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, a stop member secured at the rear end of the sole and adapted,incombination with the sole, to support the overshoe in standingposition, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, said spring being hinged at its front side tofacilitate opening and closing, and said hinge being provided with aspring member adapted to force the ring sections either to open orclosed position, substantially as described.

5. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to afiordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, a stop member secured at the rear end of the sole and adapted,in combination with the sole, to support the overshoe in standingposition, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, said spring being hinged at its front side tofacilitate opening and closing, the spring ring being concealed withinthe fabric composing the upper, substantially as described.

6. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, a stop member secured at the rear end of the sole and adapted,in combination with the sole, to support the overshoe in standingposition, and a. spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, said spring being hinged at its front side tofacilitate opening and closing, and said hinge being provided with aspring member adapted to force the ring sections either to open orclosed position, the spring ring being concealed within the fabriccomposin the upper, substantially as described.

7. n overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, substantially as described.

8. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, said spring being hinged at its front side tofacilitate opening and closing, substantially as described.

9. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, said spring being hinged at its front side tofacilitate opening and closing, and said hinge being provided with aspring member adapted to force the ring sections either to open orclosed position, substantially as described.

10. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, said spring being hinged at its front side tofacilitate opening and closing, the spring ring being concealed withinthe fabric composing the upper, substantially as described.

11. An overshoe comprising a sole portion terminating forwardly of theheel portion, a vamp portion secured to the sole and cut away to affordan opening at the rear end, an upper secured to the vamp and split atthe back, and a spring ring in the upper for clasping the same aroundthe wearers foot, said spring being hinged at its front side tofacilitate opening and closing, and said hinge being provided with aspring member adapted to force the ring sections either to open orclosed position, the spring ring being concealed within the fabriccomposing the upper, substantially as described.

TRUMAN B. FUNK.

